Light from the spirit world / The pilgrimage of Thomas Paine and others to the seventh circle in the spirit world

It was an hour of devotion. The castle was ruffled by the storm of darkness. Not a voice betokened harmony, and each worshiper offered his words to God, as a dictator would his commands to his subjects. One mind wanted his brethren to be more faithful, and another desired the conversion of a third to some opinion, which would disgrace the mind who should practice it. At length, we went to a deacon of the most fashionable circle in the castle. He was offering his words to God. “Thou wouldst have been just,” said he, “if thou hadst cut us down as cumberers of the ground, and made our bed in hell; but we thank thee, oh God, that thou hast not been strict to mark our iniquities against us, lest our portion should have been as hypocrites and unbelievers.”

“Often hast thou not heard that accusation?” said my companion.

T. I recollect that was often said by many thoughtless religionists, when I was in the body.

M. And dost thou not know that what thou hast seen in the body, thou mayest see now thou art in this sphere, and more clearly; even so, what thou hast heard.

T. I see that death changes no error, which the mind has received. These minds must have been religious, in the first sphere. They are now religious, in words. They tell God he is not just; for, if he had been, he would have placed them with hypocrites and unbelievers. I see they are mistaken. God is just, and I find them with hypocrites and unbelievers. I see they offer words only. They pray to have God do what they ought to have done themselves. They want others to be converted by God, but they do not reform themselves. Do you know the reason?

M. I see that they are blind to their own condition; they are blind to a more exalted principle of holiness. They have done nothing to reform themselves, because they have expended all their strength in words. They have sought to establish their own righteousness, and thou seest that their righteousness is words; and, when they have worked to convert others, they have made only a convert like unto themselves; they have made a convert with words, and with words they will convert others.

T. When they were in the body, how were the needy neglected?

M. As they would be here, were no other help to be found.

T. Thou hast well said, Mary, that they worship only with words. They worship only words. God is not worshiped. They ask in words, but words never work, without deeds, the reform of mind. They desire with words, that God would reform minds; but they never reflect, that reforms are works. Alas! they will not reform themselves, and do works meet for repentance, because they are blind in the conceit of words. Thou seest their great mistake. Not till they shall see that God is not pleased with their words, and words only, will they look for a change in themselves. So long as they seek to establish a religion of words, they will neglect a religion of works. When they shall learn that God is just, and that they have their portion in company with hypocrites and unbelievers, they will not rest in words alone.

M. But thou seest they will not reform, because they are blind. When their blindness shall be removed, they will see something.

T. Truly: They will see themselves, not as they now see, but as God sees them. They will see that repentance must begin with them. They will see that words will not save. They will see that hypocrites will not be cut off because they have no words; neither will unbelievers fail of a recompense on that account. Thou knowest words entice sinners, and sinners use enticing words; but the mind without this castle relies on works of wisdom.

The deacon concluded his invocation, and I said, “What art thou praying for?”

He replied, “I want the wicked to be saved.”

T. From what dost thou desire their salvation?

D. From the wrath of God, and the damnation of hell.

T. Dost thou expect that words will serve thy design?

D. Thou knowest that God has commanded all men to pray, and that the fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much.

T. I wish to know, if words will save?

D. Words will find favor with God.

T. Will they cause God to save a wretched mind?

D. They will avail much.

T. With whom?

D. With God.

T. How much will they avail?

D. They will save the soul from perdition.

T. What will save a soul from perdition?

D. The prayer of the righteous.

T. Have thy prayers saved thee?

D. I trust they will save my soul, if I am faithful.

T. Faithful in what?

D. Faithful in my duty.

T. What is thy duty?

D. To obey God.

T. What is obedience to God?

D. Obedience to God is complying with his commands.

T. Hast thou complied with his commands?

D. I would try to do so.

T. Hast thou done as God has commanded thee?

D. I have come short of his glory.

T. Will thy prayers save thee, when thou art not as he commands?

D. I will obey.

T. When?

D. When I pray, I pray for my forgiveness.

T. Dost thou expect God will hear without repentance?

D. I do repent when I pray.

T. What are thy works?

D. I see, you want me to be what you are.

T. Thou wilt not say, I want thee to be as I am, but as God is; and when thou art as he has required thee to be, thou wilt not refuse thy mind what good thou mayest enjoy. Wilt thou say, that thy prayers will save thee without repentance?

D. Nay.

T. When wilt thou repent, then?

D. What dost thou mean by repentance?

T. I mean that reform which will save thee from the wretchedness of this confinement in walls.

D. Am I wretched? Nay.

T. Thou wilt not so reply, when thy deliverance is accomplished.

D. Deliverance from what?

T. From thy wrongs and errors, thy sins and sorrows.

D. Verily, thou art confident. Who gave thee power to work in God’s name?

T. I will work as my master has commanded.

D. Who is thy master?

T. The mind who controls me and others.

D. Am I not a mind who controls others?

T. Thou controlest thy inferiors, not thy superiors.

D. Thou mayest do the same.

T. Not as thou hast done.

D. Why not?

T. Because thou controlest by fear and hope. Thou rulest as do tyrants and kings. Thy ways are cruel and oppressive, unjust and wrong.

D. Thou wilt not accuse me, when thou art wrong.

T. When thy ways are opposed to the commands of God, am I wrong to inform thee?

D. Nay; but thou wilt not be wrong, when thou art converted.

T. Converted to what?

D. Converted to the religion of the Bible.

T. Wherein do I need conversion to the religion of the Bible?

D. In refusing to join with us.

T. Is that the only reason?

D. It is one which makes thy conversion necessary.

T. Why necessary?

D. Thou knowest thou art not a believer in the Bible.

T. Thou wilt not convert me without the Bible.

D. What! not convert thee without the Bible? How sayest thou that the Bible is thy guide?

T. I say, thou wilt not convert me without the Bible.

D. May I hope to convert thee with it?

T. Thou mayest not hope for conversion to thy views.

D. What views may I hope to convert thee to?

T. Such as are true and practical, wise and good.

D. When wilt thou come to me for instruction?

T. When thou canst instruct me.

D. Thou art not a believer in religion.

T. Thou canst tell by my works.

D. Thy works will not wrong any one.

T. Wilt thou not wrong any one?

D. Not intentionally.

T. Wilt thou justify an unintentional wrong?

D. Nay.

T. Then thou shouldst reform.

D. Why?

T. Because thou doest many unintentional wrongs.

D. Thy charge will not satisfy me of wrong.

T. When thou seest thy brother in need, hast thou aided him? When thou seest him disconsolate, hast thou cheered him? When thou hast found him naked of wisdom, hast thou clothed him with garments of salvation? When thou hast found him an hungered and thirsting after righteousness, hast thou fed him with the bread of heaven, and given him the water of life?

D. That has been my desire.

T. Have thy desires been operative to the good of mind?

D. I would they had been more so.

T. Then thou shouldst put away thy craft, and leave thy habitation of darkness. Thou wilt not do as thy soul desireth, so long as thou remainest imprisoned within the walls of this castle. I see thy intentions are well, but thy wisdom is selfish. When thou shalt relinquish thy wrongs, and no longer wrong others by the inculcation of thy errors, then thou wilt reform the abuses of thy brethren, without money and without price.

D. I would reform any wrong that I may have, but I would first know the wrong.

T. Thou wilt, then, understand what thy wrongs are?

D. Truly.

T. Thy wrongs are the wrongs of others. When thou wouldst forsake thy wrongs, because thou hast seen them, thy brethren offer thee a bribe to refuse a reform. They say to thee, “What good will this new doctrine do? what will those gain who embrace it? and what will they lose that defend it?” Thou hast been warned by awful penalties not to forsake the wrongs thou hast cherished from thy childhood.

D. I acknowledge that I have my fears.

T. Thou wilt acknowledge that thy fears do thee no good, when they make thee miserable.

D. They sometimes make me unhappy.

T. When they make thee unhappy, they are unprofitable. No good thing ever made thee so. That which makes thee unhappy, is a wrong to thee; and when thou shalt put away that wrong, thy unhappiness will cease; but so long as thou shalt cherish the wrong, thy mind will be disturbed by it. This is the law of God in nature. Wouldst thou obey that law?

D. I would obey God.

T. Thou wouldst obey God by obeying his law?

D. I would not disobey his law.

T. Dost thou not see, that it is the law of God, which works thy unhappiness? Dost thou not know, that nothing can be true and right which makes thee unhappy?

D. I see, that when I do wrong, I want what I have not got. I want something which will make me more happy. But it is not wrong to want what I have not got.

T. Thy wants are well; but not thy wrongs to satisfy thy wants. Thy wants are misdirected; they work harm to thy mind. It will not be so, when thou understandest the law which should govern thee. Thou wilt not reform, nor leave this castle, till thou seest that all good is obedience, and all evil is disobedience to the law of God. So long as thou shalt remain subject to the wisdom of those who instruct thee to do wrong, that good may come to thee, thou wilt not refrain from thy wrongs. Thy errors are thy wrongs; and, if thou wouldst be saved from their curse, thou shouldst cast them away.

D. That would I do, when I have found the wrong. But I see no error in my faith.

T. Thy faith is not well when wrong.

D. Yea; but wherein is it wrong?

T. I heard thee say, that God was not just. If God be not just, who will not be like him when arrested for judgment? Thou seest that thy accusation is wrong; and thy wrong hath disturbed thy quiet. When wilt thou reform of thy wrong, if thy God be unjust?

D. But when I said he was unjust, I meant that he was so merciful, as not to punish the wicked as their sins deserve; not that he was an unjust God.

T. Thou wilt not put new wine into old bottles, lest it ferment and break the bottles, and the wine be lost. Thou hast made the rent no better. If God will not give the wicked what they deserve, he is unjust, and is not faithful to his promise. Besides, how can the wicked separate themselves from the evil of a violated law? When the law is disregarded, a wrong is done; and, when a wrong is done, the evil is committed. The evil is the wrong. The wrong is what disturbs thee, and what disturbs thee is thy reward. Thy reward is the judgment of God, executed in thy mind, because thy wisdom needs improvement.

D. Thou wilt not say, the wrong is the reward.

T. The wrong is the evil, and the evil is what thou shouldst abandon for thy good; because what is evil to thee, thou shouldst not pursue. The law which rewards thee, is eternal, and, while wrong is cherished, the reward is thine. What is thine, thou wilt receive, for it is just.

D. Thou wilt not say, the wrong is the reward.

T. I will say, the wrong and the reward are inseparable.

D. Then where is the necessity for a day of judgment?

T. The necessity is nature’s law; but thy views are wrong.

D. They are what the Scriptures teach.

T. Thou hast not read the Scriptures without thy wisdom to aid thee. Thy wisdom is not the wisdom of God.

D. Wherein do they differ?

T. Thy wisdom is the wisdom of minds like thee; those who are like thee, are no wiser than thyself. Those who are no wiser than thyself, can not instruct thee. They agree with thee, and thou seest only what thy wisdom has unfolded to thee. And when thou hast read the Scriptures, thou hast understood as thy wisdom corrected the Bible. It is thy misfortune to read with thy education to correct the reading, and make it conform to thy errors.

D. Thou wilt not say, there is no judgment.

T. I say, law is eternal, and when wrong is done, a law is violated. When a law is disobeyed, the disobedience is wrong, and the wrong disturbs the doer. This disturbance of law is sure to be attended with the evil which wrong brings. That evil is the judgment of God. I know no other judgment.

D. Thou knowest the Scriptures teach another judgment.

T. I know not what thou affirmest.

D. The Bible speaks of a judgment.

T. So do I.

D. The Bible says, God will judge the world.

T. So do I.

D. When will he judge the world?

T. When the world do wrong, and when they do right.

D. That is always.

T. Truly.

D. Then God judges all minds when they do wrong, and when they do right?

T. Yea.

D. How can he judge those who do right?

T. As he does those who do wrong—by his eternal law. But wrong is judged as an evil, and right as a good. Hence, the mind that does wrong, is judged as wrong; and the mind that does right, is judged as right.

D. How can there be, then, a day of judgment?

T. The day of judgment is when God judges by his law, and not till his judgment is withheld, will that day end. I know of no end to his judgment, nor to the period in which he judges. His judgment is just, and his justice endureth forever.

D. When will the wicked be judged?

T. When they are wicked. No mind can do wrong, without receiving a just recompense of reward.

D. Of what benefit, then, is the atonement of Christ?

T. Thy wisdom will be increased, when thou shalt see the atonement in thyself, and not hope for it because another has it.

D. I do not understand thy meaning.

T. When thou shalt agree with thy Bible, in regard to the atonement, then thou wilt find the atonement in thy works, as thou seest it now in Christ.

D. This is more perplexing to me still. What dost thou mean by atonement in me?

T. I mean the works which Christ done for the good of the needy. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, health to the sick, and wisdom to the foolish.

D. Dost thou say, miracles can be done by me?

T. Thou canst do as thy Master hath said. If thou wilt follow him, thou mayest lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover; thou canst take deadly serpents in thy hands, and they shall not harm thee; thou canst drink poison, and it shall not injure thee; thou canst wait on the suffering, and the Lord thy God will bless thee.

D. Then thou sayest, I am not a follower of Christ?

T. Thy works testify of thee.

D. Do they testify, that I am not a follower of Christ?

T. If thou wast his disciple, his works would follow thee.

D. Then, I am not his disciple.

T. So thou sayest. But wouldst thou be?

D. I would be ever as my Master.

T. Listen then to thy Master’s instruction.

D. What instruction?

T. Such as I have, give I unto thee. Visit the sick, those in prison, those in need; and let thy mind be passive to the influence of those who would aid thee to be wise, and the glory of God will deliver thee from thy darkness, and make thee a light to them that dwell with thee in this castle of vain and empty words without deeds.

D. Dost thou say, that I can do miracles?

T. Thou canst do as thy Master hath required thee, and, when thou doest, thy works will testify that a miracle hath been wrought by thee. Thy companions will say, thou hast a devil.

D. If I could believe thy saying, I would follow thee.

T. Thou canst follow thy Master, and my saying will be verified by thy works. The atonement will be in thee to do the will of thy Master.

D. Then all may atone for their sins.

T. All may do good to those in need, and when they obey the law of God which requires good to be done, the atonement is in them who obey. It is an agreement with Christ to put away sin by personal sacrifice upon the altar of sympathizing humanity. Doing good is atonement, because it is agreement with the law of God, and puts wrong away.

D. Then, there was no need of a Savior.

T. Not so: had there been no wrong, there would have been no Savior; but, where wrong is, there is a need to be saved from the wrong. Thy Savior came where wrongs existed, and where great injuries were practiced; and thou seest he saved many from their errors and wrongs. Thou shouldst obey, and do likewise; and, when thou shalt do as thy Master hath done, thou wilt save many. According to thy wisdom and thy diligence, so shall thy reward be.

D. But, when I obey, do I not then make atonement for sins?

T. When thou obeyest, thou doest well, but thou wilt not obey without a cause. Thy obedience is caused by thy wisdom, and thy wisdom is increased by instruction, so that thy salvation is caused by those who instruct thee in wisdom.

D. Then I have as many Saviors as I have instructors.

T. I would not contradict thee; but still thou shouldst understand that all wisdom is of God. Thy God is thy Savior, and he saves thee in harmony with his law of developing and making wise thy mind. He saves thee only as thou becomest wise, and he makes thee wise through the mediums who are competent to instruct thee in his wisdom. As many as are employed in unfolding to minds the wisdom of God, are saviors to those whom they instruct and make wise. Thou mayest be the savior of many when thou receivest wisdom to instruct others. Thou wilt not save without wisdom; for it is by wisdom that I come to thee with a message which will open the gates of a celestial circle, who wish thy deliverance.

D. Thy pretensions stagger me. If thou art what thy words signify, thou canst do thy will, and make me what thou desirest.

T. I will then invite thee to a circle without these walls. Wilt thou go with me?

D. I will go, my friend.

T. When thou shalt arrive at the arch-way of a temple, not made with hands, thou wilt wait till I announce thy coming. Then, we will proceed into a court, where thou wilt hear and see many things. Let thy mind be calm, and thy vows be faithfully observed. Thou wilt not return to this castle for the purpose of carrying away with thee thy creed, or thy forms of worship. In the temple, we worship God, not with words alone, but with works of good. Thou wilt love thy brethren, and no hate can disturb thy mind. Thou wilt serve God by doing good to those that need; for thou knowest that God hath no dependence of aid from us; but he requireth us to obey him. Thy obedience will do thee good, as it will others on whom thy labors shall be bestowed. Art thou ready?

D. I am ready.

T. Then come with me.

My companion said, “Let us sing the new song.”

We stood on the walls and sung the song of jubilee; for mind which was imprisoned was released. Then we departed for the temple.

On reaching the temple, my companion said, “Seest thou this temple of the living God? Thou wilt wait with me, while Thomas shall announce thy willingness to enter the courts of the redeemed.”

I entered the temple, and was hailed by the Master, “What hast thou brought with thee?”

T. The deacon, who has listened to my wisdom, and desirest instruction in the mysteries of thy work, wishes admission within this court, and instruction in ways he has not known.

M. Hast thou instructed him, as most necessary to his improvement, before entering this circle?

T. I have said that which was necessary, and find him prepared to receive the lessons which appertain to his progress.

M. Then thou wilt bid him welcome.

I returned. When I returned, he said, “This is a secret society, I suppose.”

T. The wisdom of this circle, who work in this temple, is not a secret to those who have received it.

D. Why dost thou keep thy wisdom a secret?

T. Because all wisdom is a secret to the uninformed. Thou wilt understand that this circle withholds no good thing from those who need, but even those who need, are not always prepared to receive our aid. The secret will not harm thee, neither will it do good to those who refuse to comply with its requirements. The secret is a secret only, because minds know it not, and have resolved not to receive the wisdom which their condition requires to make them skillful workmen in the temple. Art thou prepared to enter with me, and do the work which may be required of thee for the good of mind?

D. I am ready to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly, in the path of righteousness.

T. Thou wilt remember the poor and thy vows.

D. The needy thou hast with thee.

T. Thou wilt soon become rich.

The same instruction was imparted to the deacon, which I received on my first visit to the temple. When the lessons had been repeated to him, I inquired, “Welcome, wilt thou now revisit the castle with me, that we may aid our brethren to see the light thou hast beheld?”

D. Thou wilt not expect that I would refuse to aid them. We returned.